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Austin Reaves has made quite the career for himself in LA. After four years playing in college, he went undrafted in 2021. But the former first-team All-Big 12 member wasn't about to let his hoop dreams fade away. He signed a two-way contract with the Lakers at the end of the summer, which was then converted to a full NBA contract.
Quickly, he began to make his presence felt on the court in his role. As he continued to prove himself, Reaves wound up seeing a major increase in minutes. By the end of last season, he had appeared in 61 games. During that time he averaged 7.3 points on 45.9% shooting while playing 23.2 minutes per game.
Reaves has continued to produce this season as the Lakers (24-28) continue to fight in the Western Conference. As he sees improved averages across the board, comparisons to former Lakers guard Alex Caruso, who also went undrafted, continue to surface. During a recent interview with HoopsHype, he spoke about the similarities and differences between them.
"Totally different players, but we’re guys that played on the Lakers, and we’re white," Reaves said. "We don’t really look athletic. He’s athletic, but I’m not that athletic. I can see why people do it, but we’re two totally different players."
Above, you can see some of Reaves' highlights this season from before his hamstring injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 4.
Austin Reaves and the LA Lakers this season
While Reaves had a good start to the season, his recent injury has derailed much of his sophomore-year progress. After playing in the Lakers' Jan. 4 win over the Miami Heat, Reaves was ruled out of the subsequent game with a hamstring strain. Two weeks later, he informed fans that he would be back soon, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic:
"Reaves said his hamstring is progressing well. He sprinted for the first time on Monday, a solid step toward his impending return. 'We’re going forward, moving forward,' Reaves said of his injury. 'Progress. Feeling good.'”
However, since then there has been little news in regard to when he will return. A report on Jan. 28 indicated that he would be reevaluated the following Thursday, but there have been no further updates.
As LeBron James continues to pursue Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record, the team is fighting for a postseason spot in the tight Western Conference. With Anthony Davis back in the lineup, the team is hopeful that it will be able to turn things around in the second half of the season.
The Lakers sit in 13th place in the West. With one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league per tankathon, they will have to start converting on winnable games.
Above, you can see view highlights from LeBron James' first triple double of the season on Tuesday.
